Sunday, May 22, 2011

Wherever They May Roam

Friday evening's announcement by City Opera general manager George Steel that the company would depart Lincoln Center caused huge waves in the opera community. Mr. Steel stated that the company would be moving to a new performance space, producing two large opera productions and three small-scale works. But where they're going is anyone's guess. Here are some helpful Superconductor suggestions.

1) Vernon C. Bain Correctional CenterWhere is it? Better known as the Riker's Island Prison BargePros: Mobile venue, enabling the company to perform in all five boroughs. Modest seating capacity for opera. Easy to house singers and choristers if needed. Guaranteed audience.Cons: There's already a floating opera house in Bregenz, Austria. Captive audience may not like opera.

2) New York City CenterWhere is it? The recently renovated former home of the City Opera from 1947 until its move to Lincoln Center is on West 55th St. Still used for ballet and theater performances.Pros: They say you can't go home again. Cons: It's like moving back in with your parents.

3) Barclays CenterWhere is it? The new basketball arena being built on what's left of downtown Brooklyn.Pros: Good access to subway, LIRR.Cons: Angry Brooklynites. No parking. But they should have thought of this before building the arena, no?

6) Owls' Head Wastewater Treatment PlantWhere is it? On the waterfront in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.Pros: Spacious, wide waterfront location. Park nearby. Spectacular views of Staten Island and New Jersey. Convenient to the Belt Parkway.Cons: Should speak for themselves.

7) The Beacon TheatreWhere is it? 2124 Broadway on the Upper West Side.Pros: Good acoustics and old-fashioned theater ambiance.Cons: Cirque de Soleil's Banana Shpeel is a tough act to follow. Plus there's a risk of performances of La bohéme being picketed by angry Allman Brothers fans.

8) Walter A. Damrosch ParkWhere is it? 63rd St. and Amsterdam AvenuePros: Short commute as it's next to the former New York State Theater.Cons: Located (quite literally) in the shadow of the Met. And didn't they say they were leaving Lincoln Center?

9) Crif DogsWhere is it? 113 St. Marks PlacePros: Good on-site cuisine. Small space, ideal for intimate operas. Has its own speak-easy (complete with hidden entrance) for board meetings and public functions.Cons: It smells like hot dogs.

The American Dreams Meadowlands, or what it would look like if it had opened as the Xanadu Mall.

10) American Dream Meadowlands (formerly "Xanadu Mall.")Where is it? Unfinished boondoggle of a sports and entertainment complex located in the Meadowlands next to the new football stadium.Pros: Large, flexible venue. Caters to opera fans who like to tailgate before the performance. Easy to add a gift shop. Has its own ski slope for future revivals of Intermezzo.Cons: It's in frickin' New Jersey! And it's not opening until 2013.

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Critical Thinking in the Cheap Seats

Since 2007, Superconductor has grown from an occasional concert or CD review to a near-daily publication covering classical music, opera and the arts in and around NYC, with excursions to Boston, Philadelphia, and upstate NY. I am a freelance writer living and working in Brooklyn NY. And no, I'm not a conductor.